…Garrett rolled over, opened one sleepy eye, and then snapped it shut to block out the sunshine streaming in his window. It must be late. Oh well. Irvin knew he always ran late. If Garrett was supposed to open the store, Irvin always scheduled someone else to come in early, too. One of those unspoken issues everyone understood.

            He sniffed. Was his mother frying bacon? He put both feet on the floor and yawned and stretched. So tempting to crawl back into bed for a few more minutes. Rubbing his eyes, he blinked and ran his hands through his bronze-blond hair. A late night but certainly worth it.

            After dragging a pair of heavy work socks out of his bureau drawer, he slumped on the edge of his bed. Polly was all right─a few old-fashioned ideas she’d picked up from her mother but things were coming along fine. Last night was the best yet in spite of getting off to a rough start. Although he liked to keep things light, he’d have to remember that Polly liked some sweet-talking, too.

            Sweet-talking was tricky. You had to find just the right combination for every girl. Enough to get them in the right mood without making any promises…

Sometimes fiction, by portraying less-than desirable traits in a character, may prompt us to recognize those traits in ourselves, leading us to make needed changes. In addition, it may help us recognize less-than-desirable quality traits in someone we’ve been considering as a spouse, causing us to reconsider or at least address the issue.